Anchorage



Oct. 20, 1931. J, pov s 1,827,762

ANCHORAGE Filed April 25. 1929 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BERNARD J. rovaLsxror JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR r rnnoo SYSTEM,

INC., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ANCHORAGE l Application filed April 25,

My invention relates to a new form of anchorage for securing a plate to a suitable base and is particularly adapted for securing identification plates to automobiles, said identificationplatesbeing of a type adapted the efiect, of thickness.

to protect a vehicle against theft. It is important that the identification plate be fastened to the motor vehicle in such fashion as to prevent its removal without mutilation or destruction of the plate. It is customary to. attach, such a plate to the instrument board of the vehicle where it will always be in plain sight not only to the occupants of the vehicle but also to policemen, detectives and the general public. Because or such conspicuous location the absence of a plate will be readily noted and any tampering with the plate may be readily detected.

While my improved anchorage means may be employed with various types of plates not only for attachment to vehicles but for attachment to other machines, devices and objects as well, it is particularly adapted for use with identification plates of the type described in my copending applications, Serial Nos. 357,967 and 357,970, filed April 25, 1929. The plates described in said copending applications are made of relatively thin metal or sheet material embossed between male and female dies to -form a shell with adownturned marginal flange, the latter being adapted to bear against a support and give Onermethod of securing such a plate to a vehicle is to weld the plate to the'instrumentboard or other suitable support, in the manner described in my copending application, Serial No. 357,968, filed April 25, 1929.- There are, however, certain conditions under which it is not desirable or expedient to use welding apparatus for attaching the plate to its support. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an anchorage of such a type that the plate may be applied to the'base without the use of welding apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an anchorage which may be applied without the use of skilled workmen.

- Still another object of the invention is to 1929. Serial No. 357,969.

provide an anchorage of very simple form which will be very economical in construction and which can be applied very quickly without the use of special tools, but which will give so secure an attachment that the plate cannot be removed from its support without mutilation.

With these and other objects in view, I shall now describe a preferred embodiment of my invention in connection with the accompanying drawings and thereafter shall point out the novelty and scope of the invention in the claims.

Figure 1 illustrates a portion of the instrument board or panel of a motor vehicle with an identification plate attached thereto by means of my improved anchorage;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a thimble used in my improved anchorage; and

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a lug which co-operates with the thimble to anchor the plate to its support.

. In the drawings, I have used the reference numeral 1O to indicate an instrument board or other suitable base on which an identification plate 11 is to be secured. This plate, as explained above, is made by embossing sheet metal between male and female dies and is formed with a marginal down-turned flange 12 adapted to bear against the outer face of the panel 10. At suitable points on the under face of the plate, I provide a pair of flat weld spot 13 and surrounding each weld spot is a groove 14 which may be either cut into the material of the plate or preferably is formed as part of the embossing 1 are driven together the plate 11 will be slight plate 11 with the 15 is provided with a beveled edge. A thimble 18 is provided with a cylindrical bore 19 which is of such diameter that the lug 15 may be introduced therein with a press fit. To facilitate the introduction of the lug into the opening 19, not only is the lug formed with the'beveled edge 17, but also the edge of the opening is beveled, as indicated at 20 in Fig. 4. The thimble isformed with a head 21 which is adapted to bear against the rear face of the panel 10, while the shank or body of the thimble passes through an opening 22 in the panel. 7

Parts are assembled by insertingthe shank of the thimble into the opening 22, introducing the beveled edge 17 of the lug into the beveled mouth of the opening 19 and-then pressing the partstogether until the flanges 12 bear firmly against one side of'the panel 10 and the head 21 against the other side of the panel. The length of the shank 18 is such that it will bear againstthe under face of the plate 11 when the parts are assembled as indicated in F ig. 2. Preferably, however, the shank 18 is made slightly shorter than the normal distance between the head 21 and the plate 11 when the flanges 12 bear against the face of the panel 10, so that when the'parts ly concavely flexed, insuring tight contact between the flanges 12 and the face of the panel 10. By making the shank 18 thus slightly shorter a certain tolerance is allowed for variations in thickness of panel 10, so that under the most extreme conditions there will be nolooseness in the engagement of the panel 10 when anchored thereon. V

The purpose of the groove 14 is to weaken the plate immediately adjacent the lug 15, so that the material of the plate. at this pointwill not be as strong as the frictional engagement between the lug 15 and the slot 19. Hence, if anyone should attempt to remove the plate the frictionalholdbetween the lug and the thimble would be so great that the plate would tear along the groove 14 before the lug could be drawn out of the 'thimble 18. In order toinsure an ample area of engagement between the lug and the thimble, the lug is preferably made of larger diameter than the'spot 13' to which it is welded. While this is a preferred arrangement,.obviously the parts'could be so designed that the body of the lug would be of the same diameter or even of smaller diameter than the weld spot. I I

' In practise the plate is anchored to the panel at 'two points, as shown in Fig. 1, and

the weld spots are located under important features of the identification design or indicia formed on the plate. Thus, if anyone removed the plate by tearing out a portion thereof it would disfigure a prominent part of the plate which it would be diflicult, if not impossible, for him to restore without leaving evidence of the fact that the plate had been tampered with.

If desired the plate could be secured to the panel by anchoring it at only one point instead of a plurality of points. Various modifications could also bemade in the form and construction of my improved anchorage without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and the anchorage method could be applied to plates of substantial thickness as well as to thin plates of the type illustrated. It will be understood, therefore, that the construction-shown in the drawings and described above is to be taken as illustrative and not as limitative of my invention.

I claim: a

'1. In combination, an identification plate, a lug welded thereon, and an anchorage device formed with a recess of the same shape as the lug in which the lug is inserted with a forced fit, the strength of the plate surrounding the lug being less than that of the frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device.

2. In combination, an identification plate, a lug welded thereon, and an anchorage device formed with a recess of the same shape as the lug in which the lug is inserted with a forced fit, the plate being formed with an area of weakness surrounding the lug such that the strength of the plate in said area will be less than the frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device.

3. In combination, an identification plate, a lug welded thereon, and an anchorage device into which the lug is inserted and held solely by frictional engagement with the device, the plate being formed with an area of weakness surrounding the lug such that the strength of the plate in said area will be less than the strength of said frictional engagement.

4. In combination, an identification plate, a lug welded thereon, andan anchorage device formed with a recess of the same shape as the lug in which the lug is inserted with a forced fit, the plate being formed with a' groovesurrounding the lug and providing a line of weakness such that the strength of the platealong said line will be less than that of the frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device.

5. In combination, an identification plate, a lug welded thereon, an anchorage device formed with a recess of the same shape as the lug in which the lugis inserted with a forced fit, the thickness of the plate being reduced surrounding the point of attachment of the lug thereto whereby the strength of the plate surrounding the lug will be less than that of'the frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device. 7

6. In combination, an identification plate, a cylindrical lug welded thereon, an anchorage device formed with a cylindrical recess in which the lug is inserted'with a forced fit,

the plate being formed with an annular groove surrounding the lug whereby the strength of the plate will be reduced by said groove below the strength of the frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device. l 7. In combination, an identification plate, a cylindrical lug welded thereon, an anchorage device formed with a cylindrical recess in which the lug is inserted with a forced fit, the plate being formed with an annular groove surrounding the lug whereby the strengthof the plate will be reduced by said groove below the strength of the frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device, the lug being formed with a beveled edge.

8. In combination, an identification plate, a cylindrical lug welded thereon, and an anchorage device formed with a cylindrical recess in which the lug is inserted with a forced fit, said recess being formed with a beveled edge, and the plate being formed with an annular groove surrounding the lug whereby the strength of the plate will be reduced by said groove below the strength of the frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device.

9. In combination, an identification plate, a cylindrical lug welded thereon, and an anchorage device formed with a cylindrical recess in which the lug is inserted with a forced fit, the plate being formed with an annular groove surrounding the lug whereby the strength of the plate will be reduced by said groove below the strength of the frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device, the lug and the recess being formed with beveled edges respectively to facilitate introducing the lug into the recess.

10. In combination, an identification plate formed with a flat weld spot on the under side thereof and an annular groove to provide a line of weakness surrounding the weld spot, a lug of larger diameter than the weld spot and formed with a reduced portion welded to said, spot, and an anchorage device formed with a recess in which the lug is in serted with a forced fit to provide frictional engagement between the lug and the anchorage device of greater strength than that of the plate along said line of weakness.

11. In combination, an identification plate of sheet material, a panel formed with an aperture, said plate being formed with a down-turned flange adapted to bear against one face of the panel, a thimble having a head adapted to bear against the opposite face of the panel and a shank adapted to project through said aperture, the shank being formed with a bore, and a lug welded on the under face of the plate and tightly fitted into said bore, the plate being formed with an area of weakness surrounding the lug to reduce the strength of the plate in such area below the strength of the frictional engagement between the lug and the thimble, the length of the shank being such as to engage the under face of the plate when the flange and the head engage opposite faces of the panel.

12. In combination, an identification plate of sheet material, a panel formed with an aperture, said plate being formed with a down-turned flange adapted to bear against one face of the panel, a thimble having a head adapted to bear against the opposite face of the panel and a shank adapted to projectthrough said aperture, the shank being formed with a bore, and a lug welded on the under face of the plate and and tightly fitted into said bore, the plate being formed with an area of weakness surrounding the lug to reduce the strength of the plate in such area below the strength of the frictional engagement between the lug and the thimble, the length of the shank being such that the plate will be slightly concavely flexed when the end of the shank engages the underface of the plate so as to insure close engagement of the flange against the panel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

BERNARD J. POVALSKI. 

